Flexible syringe unit



L. F. WALDMAN, JR I 3,163,164

FLEXIBLE SYRINGE UNIT Filed 001:. 4, 1961 I20 if INVENTOR.

) LEONARD F. WALDMAN JR.

BY7%/C7 AZ ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,163,164 FLEXELE SYRINGE UNET Leonard F. Waldman, in, Niles, llL, assignor to Easter Laboratories, Inc. Filed Get. 4, 1961, Ser. No. 142,890 2 Claims. (fill. 128-227) The present invention relates to syringe units and, more particularly, to disposable enema units.

Enemas are routinely administered in hospitals and clinics as a preoperative procedure. conventionally the enema of choice for such preoperative or routine procedures comprises a solution of soap suds. Such enemas are normally administered via rubber ormetal and rubber syringe units. The metal pail-type fluid container with a bottom outlet connected to a length of administering tubing is the preferred apparatus because it can be more readily cleansed and sterilized for reuse.

In the past, various attempts have been made to develop an expendable disposable integral syringe unit from plastic. Such attempts have not been entirely successful, as the units have either been of the lay-fiat collapsible bag type and thus difiicult to fill or of the pail-type and thus difiicult to store in quantity.

It is an object of the present invention to disclose a novel collapsible lay-lat plastic enema bag which both stores easily and is easily filled.

It is further an object to disclose a novel enema unit wmch may be either extemporaneously filled at time of use or filled in anticipation of use and transported without leakage to the point of use.

These and other objects and advantages will appear as the specification proceeds.

The invention is shown in an illustrative embodiment by the accompanying drawing in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view showing the syringe unit with the bag unfilled.

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view showing the filled bag.

In the illustrations of FIGURES l and 2 inclusive, 1t designates a flexible, collapsible to lay-flat, plastic container having an upper end provided with an integral sleeve-like inlet 11. The sleeve-like inlet is provided at its outer end with a plastic coated, malleable metal strip 12. The upper end of the bag is further provided with centrally located hanger means 13. The body portion of the bag bears graduation markings 14. The lower end of the bag is provided with an outlet 15 which communicates with a length of flexible tubing 16. The tubing is provided with an on-ofi? clamp 17 intermediate its length and an enema administration nozzle 18 at its other end.

The contact 19 is preferably formed by heat sealing two sheets of polyvinyl chloride resin (.008 inch thick) or similar heat scalable sheets of plastic material along the lateral edges to form the sides; the top edge to form the partial top seam, the sleeve-like inlet with its open outer end and hanger means 13; and the bottom edge to form the bottom seam and the outlet 15. The graduating markings 14 are also formed by the heat sealing operation.

The plastic covered malleable metal or manually moldable strip or wire 12 is then preferably heat sealed along the top edge of one of the two sheets forming the sleevelike inlet. Preferably the strip 12. is of greater length than the width of the sleeve and so positioned that when the sleeve-like inlet is repeatedly folded upon itself the portions 12a of the metal strip which extend past the sleeve may be folded inwardly to retain the inlet in such a folded position. This combination of the sleeve-like inlet folded upon itself and the malleable metal strip folded inwardly provides a positive fluid tight seal which eliminates leakage and allows for the transportation of the enema unit in a filled position (seen only in FIG- URE 2).

The flexible administration tubing 16 is either heat sealed, glued or solvent sealed into communication with the outlet 15. The enema administration nozzle 18 may be likewise connected to the tubing. Preferably this is done in such a manner that a smooth junction of the nozzle 18 and the tubing 16 is formed. This facilitates the administration of the so called high enema in which instances the tubing serves as an extension of the administration nozzle.

In the proposed embodiment, the main body of the bag 10 is about 10 inches long and 6 inches wide. The sleevelike inlet measures 3 4 inches wide at its outermost end and 2 4 inches wide at the point of attachment to the main body of the bag. The sleeve extends outwardly about 3 /2 inches from the point of attachment providing ample material for the folded to fluid tight seal. The malleable plastic metal strip is about 6 inches in length. The flexible plastic tubing 16 is of an internal diameter of 0.195 and 60 inches in length. Preferably the nozzle 18 is of the self-lubricating type described in U.S. Patent 2,863,453.

In the operation of the device, the tubing 15 is compressed by inserting it in the slot of the on-ofl clamp 17. The malleable metal strip 12 is then preferably bent into a semi-circular form to facilitate holding the sleeve-like inlet in an open position. The second finger of one of the operators hands is then placed within the opening of the hanger means. The inlet sleeve is then held in an open position through the cooperation of the operators thumb, index and second fingers of one hand and the now semicircular shaped metal strip. This ability to open the sleeve with a single hand enables the operator to use his other hand to place a small amount of soap flakes or concentrated soap solution in the bag and control the filling of the bag to a desired volume from a faucet. With the second fingers still in position in the hanger opening, the sleeve-like inlet is folded back upon itself several times and the fingers of both hands used to bend respective sides of the plastic covered metal strip inwardly to prevent the unfolding of the sleeve-like inlet member. The fluid tight seal thus formed allows the bag with its fiuid contents to either be used immediately or stored and/ or transported for subsequent use.

The centrally located hanger means 13 cooperates uniquely with the inlet sleeve to facilitate the filling and sealing of the bag. The location of the hanger means at the exact junction of the two faces of the lay-flat bag equalizes the fluid pressure exerted upon said faces. This eliminates the disadvantages of the conventional lay-flat plastic enema bags which had an ofiset hanger which because of the tendency of one face to bear all the fluid pressure made it diflicult to fill or seal them without spilling fluid.

When it is desired to administer the enema the protective sheath over the administration nozzle is removed and the nozzle inserted into the patient. Gravity administration is accomplished by suspending the bag by means of the hanger and the moving of the clamp 17 to an on position. The flexible container as it collapses to a layfiat condition empties completely without the need for venting which is normally required. If for some reason pressure administration is desired the bag may be squeezed or compressed to empty it. This feature is made possible by virtue of the fluid tight seal previously de- While in the foregoing specification a specific structure has been set forth in considerable detail, it will be understood that it was done for illustrative purposes only. A Wide variety of changes and modifications can be made Without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

' The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are as follows:

1. An improved enema syringe unit comprising a flexible, collapsible, lay-flat bag formed by sealing two sheets of plastic along edges thereof to form side seals, a top seal provided with a centrally located hanger means, said hanger means being centrally located in the top seal at the junction of the two sheets of plastic thereby equalizing the pressure exerted upon said two sheets by the fluid contents of said bag when it is filled, and a bottom seal, said bottom seal being interrupted to form an outiet and said top seal being interrupted to form an inlet, said inlet being an outwardly extending elongated sleeve-like member located adjacent to one side seal of said bag, said inlet member being sufficiently elongated to allow it to be folded upon itself to form a fluid tight seal and being provided with means for securing it in said folded condition, said means comprising a malleable strip sealed to a top edge of said inlet, said strip being of greater length than the Width of said inlet so that it can be folded inwardly to retain the inlet in a folded position, said bag being further provided with graduation marks for indicating the volume ofthe contents of said bag, and a flexible disposable plastic tube communicating at one end with the outlet of said bag, said tube being provided at the other end with an enema tip.

2. An improved enema syringe unit comprising a flexible, collapsible, lay-flat bag formed by sealing two sheets of plastic along edges thereof to form side seals, a top seal provided with a centrally located hanger means, said hanger means being centrally located in the top seal at the junction of the two sheets of plastic thereby equalizing the pressure exerted upon said two sheets by the fluid contents of said bag when it is filled, and a bottom seal, said bottom seal being interrupted to form an outlet and said top seal being interrupted to form an inlet, said inlet being an outwardiy extending elongated sleevelike member located adjacent to one side seal of said bag, said inlet member being sufiiciently elongated to allow it to be tolded upon itself to form a fluid tight seal and being provided with means for securing it in said folded condition, said means comprising a malleable strip sealed to a top edge of said inlet, said strip being of greater length than the Width of said inlet so that it can be folded inwardly to retain the iniet in a folded position, and a flexible disposable plastic tube communicating at one end with the outiet of said bag, said tube being provided at the other end with an enema tip.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,483,636 10/49 Hardesty 128-227 2,936,757 5/60 Trace 128-276 2,969,792 1/61 Milton 127227 3,028,863 4/62 Mattson 127227 LOUIS R. PRINCE, Primary Examiner.

ADELE M. EAGER, Examiner. 

1. AN IMPROVED ENEMA SYRINGE UNIT COMPRISING A FLEXIBLE, COLLAPSIBLE, LAY-FLAT BAG FORMED BY SEALING TWO SHEETS OF PLASTIC ALONG EDGES THEREOF TO FORM SIDE SEALS, A TOP SEAL PROVIDED WITH A CENTRALLY LOCATED HANGER MEANS, SAID HANGER MEANS BEING CENTRALLY LOCATED IN THE TOP SEAL AT THE JUNCTION OF THE TWO SHEETS OF PLASTIC THEREBY EQUALIZING THE PRESSURE EXERTED UPON SAID TWO SHEETS BY THE FLUID CONTENTS OF SAID BAG WHEN IT IS FILLED, AND A BOTTOM SEAL, SAID BOTTOM SEAL BEING INTERRUPTED TO FORM AN OUTLET AND SAID TOP SEAL BEING INTERRUPTED TO FORM AN INLET, SAID INLET BEING AN OUTWARDLY EXTENDING ELONGATED SLEEVE-LIKE MEMBER LOCATED ADJACENT TO ONE SIDE SEAL OF SAID BAG, SAID INLET MEMBER BEING SUFFICIENTLY ELONGATED TO ALLOW IT TO BE FOLDED UPON ITSELF TO FORM A FLUID TIGHT SEAL AND BEING PROVIDED WITH MEANS FOR SECURING IT IN SAID FOLDED CONDITION, SAID MEANS COMPRISING A MALLEABLE STRIP SEALED TO A TOP EDGE OF SAID INLET, SAID STRIP BEING OF GREATER LENGTH THAN THE WIDTH OF SAID INLET SO THAT IT CAN BE FOLDED INWARDLY TO RETAIN THE INLET IN A FOLDED POSITION, SAID BAG BEING FURTHER PROVIDED WITH GRADUATION MARKS FOR INDICATING THE VOLUME OF THE CONTENTS OF SAID BAG, AND A FLEXIBLE DISPOSABLE PLASTIC TUBE COMMUNICATING AT ONE END WITH THE OUTLET OF SAID BAG, SAID TUBE BEING PROVIDED AT THE OTHER END WITH AN ENEMA TIP. 